Chiropractor in Perrineville, NJ

Bo Smith's Thoroughbred breeding program may be small—it has four mares and the 10-acre Smith Farm and Stable near Millstone, N.J.—but you can't say it's been inconsequential.

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At the recent Fasig-Tipton July select sale in Lexington, Smith and consignor Joe Dodgen looked at the catalog page for Smith's Hip 88, a Malibu Moon filly they sold for $250,000 to pinhooker Nick De Meric.

"I bred everybody on the page and raced the ones we didn't sell," said Smith, who got his start in the Thoroughbred game with the mare listed at the very bottom of Hip 88's catalog page, a multiple stakes winner named Fancy Pan, the sale yearling's fourth dam.

Fancy Pan, by Paavo, was the first racehorse that Smith ever owned. Smith and partners bought her as a 4-year-old in 1987 and campaigned her in the name of Gunsmith Stables. When they bought her for $37,000, Fancy Pan was a claiming runner, but she bloomed into a multiple stakes winner for the Gunsmith partners and trainer Mark Perlsweig. She retired in 1989 as the winner of the 1988 Omnibus Stakes at Monmouth and the 1989 Lady Baltimore Handicap at Pimlico. She had six other stakes-placings to her credit, too, and left the track with $237,060 in career earnings—most of them for Smith and partners.

Fancy Pan's retirement put Smith in the breeding business. That's when Dodgen got involved in the story, shortly after Fancy Pan produced her first foal, a Lord Avie filly named Avie's Fancy.

"They brought Fancy Pan to me when Avie's Fancy was three weeks old," said Dodgen, whose Seven Fold Farm is located near Lexington. "We've been in business ever since. Bo sent me a card the other day with a copy of a bill from 1988 for Fancy Pan, and he said, 'Most marriages don't last this long'."

Avie's Fancy turned out to be a good one. She won eight stakes for Smith, including the Matchmaker Stakes (gr. IIT) in 1995 and the Boiling Springs Handicap (gr. IIIT) in 1994, and earned $402,909, then produced another stakes-winning filly, Our Cozzette, for Smith's racing string and broodmare band.

Things got even better when the Gunsmith partners took Avie's Fancy's 2001 foal, the Saint Ballado colt St Averil , to auction. He brought $500,000 when purchased by Darby Dan Bloodstock at Fasig-Tipton's 2002 July select sale and then continued the family's graded-winning tradition with a victory in the 2004 Santa Catalina Stakes (gr. II). St Averil also finished second to Lion Heart in the Hollywood Futurity (gr. I) and was on the Triple Crown trail for a time before sore front feet prompted owner Stan Fulton to sideline him.

Meanwhile, back at Smith Farm and Stable, Fancy Pan's granddaughter Our Cozzette had produced the Touch Gold filly Our Fantene , who developed into yet another stakes winner and stakes producer. When Our Fantene retired, the Gunsmith partners bred her to Outflanker and got the grade III winner Javerre . The 6-year-old gelding has been racking up black type and earnings from New Jersey to Pennsylvania to Maryland for Smith.

"I mostly stay in the mid-Atlantic region," said Smith, adding that he favors Pennsylvania racing, is just getting involved in Maryland, and also has two crops of Delaware-certified horses. "I have some good mares, and I have some modest mares, and the modest mares I don't breed to sell commercially. I know I'm not going to make a profit with them, but I run those foals in state-bred programs where I think they can make money on the racetrack."

Javerre won the 2013 General George Handicap (gr. III) and the 2012 New Jersey Breeders Handicap for state-breds. His third-place finish in the May 30 John J. Reilly Handicap at Monmouth Park increased his earnings to $470,309 and added a nice little update to Fasig-Tipton July Hip 88's catalog page before she went in the ring.

"It was a fair price for this market, at a sale early in the year," Smith said of the Malibu Moon filly's $250,000 price. "We're satisfied. She was well-prepped by Joe.

"It's a difficult thing for a small operation to keep a mare like that," he added. "One misstep, one problem, and you know you've thrown away a lot of what you could do with a quarter of a million dollars. So I just thought selling was a prudent thing to do. I would have loved to have kept her, and she would be an excellent addition to our broodmare band down the road, that's for sure."

The filly's dam, Our Fantene, has been visiting Kentucky stallions in recent breeding seasons—she has a Stay Thirsty colt by her side now and is back in foal to Curlin —but Smith keeps her at his 10-acre New Jersey property for most of the year.

"Joe's got a paddock bigger than that!" Smith said with a laugh.

For stallions that stand, will stand, or stood (deceased/pensioned) in the selected region and have runners in North America. Exported sires are excluded. Listed below are all available Northern Hemisphere statistics through January 10, 2024. As supplied to BloodHorse by The Jockey Club Information Systems, Inc., earnings include adjusted money from Japan and Hong Kong. For example, the North American average earnings per starter in 2022 was $30,508 or 73% of the 2022 average earnings per starter in Japan. To put 2023 earnings on par, all Japanese progeny earnings are multiplied by 73% before being credited to a sire's progeny earnings. For 2023, Hong Kong earnings are adjusted by 17%. Current year stakes winners include all N.H.-foaled black-type stakes winners worldwide. *Foal counts include Southern Hemisphere. Cumulative stakes winners include all countries. The columns represent the following: Rnrs = number of runners or starters; Wnrs = number of winners; BTWnrs = number of black-type stakes winners; BTHrs = number of black-type stakes horses, which include runners that won or placed in a stakes; GSWnrs = graded/group stakes winners; and G1SWnrs = grade/group 1 winners; AWD = progeny average winning distance. All percentages are from runners. Cumulative stakes winners include all available countries. Categorical leaders are in bold. Historical sire lists are available here.

MILLSTONE – An application that proposes the construction of a residential development that will include market rate townhouses and affordable housing condominiums has been carried to the May 11 meeting of the Millstone Township Planning Board.

Representatives of Hexa Builders, LLC, appeared before the Planning Board on March 9 to seek preliminary and final major site plan approval for the construction of a residential development at 711 Perrineville Road, near Route 571 and the border of East Windsor.

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Attorney John Giunco presented the application. No decision was made on the application on March 9 and the public hearing was carried to the board’s May 11 meeting, which will be held at Wagner Farm Park, 4 Baird Road.

According to Hexa Builders, the proposed development at 711 Perrineville Road will consist of 18 buildings on a 36-acre lot. There will be 122 townhouses constructed in 16 buildings and 48 condominiums constructed in two buildings.

The townhouses will be sold at market rates and the condominiums will be marketed for sale under New Jersey’s affordable housing guidelines, according to the applicant’s representatives.

The development that is now before the Planning Board was initially announced by municipal officials in 2019 as part of the township’s plan to provide opportunities for the development of affordable housing.

All of Millstone’s previously approved affordable housing projects contain only affordable housing units. Those developments are referred to as 100% affordable housing projects.

The project brought forth by Hexa Builders is the first development proposed in Millstone that would include a combination of market rate homes and affordable housing units. This type of development is referred to as an inclusionary project.

The property is owned by Gerald Baldachino, who presented the township with the initial plan to develop the lot on Perrineville Road.

In 2019, municipal officials said they selected the proposed Perrineville Road development over an inclusionary housing project that had been proposed by Howard Schoor, the owner of the former Showplace Farms on Route 33.

At the time, Schoor sought to have Toll Brothers develop a residential project on Route 33 which would have included 455 market rate homes and 114 affordable housing units, according to municipal officials.

Following a settlement agreement between Millstone Township, Showplace Farms, LLC, and the Fair Share Housing Center, the former Showplace Farms property is being developed as an industrial complex that totals 1.2 million square feet. Construction at the Route 33 site began in 2021 and is expected to be completed this year.

The Fair Share Housing Center, Cherry Hill, advocates for the construction of affordable housing throughout New Jersey.

As part of the settlement agreement, the Township Committee adopted an ordinance that rezoned the Perrineville Road property from rural preservation to rural multi-family. The development proposed by Hexa Builders conforms to the new zoning at the site and does not require a variance.

In the late 1800's and early 1900's many Jewish families came from "the city" to vacation in this area known as Perrineville. There were boarding houses and bungalows and, for the more well-off, a few hotels surrounding the lake. It was like a "mini Catskills." As people left the cities and emigrants joined their families in America, some families decided to make Perrineville their permanent home. They bought land and became farmers. In the beginning, they worshipped in each other’s homes. In 1910 ten men began holding formal religious ceremonies and in 1925 built this building. Other current members who recalled their glorious summers as children in Perrineville, returned from the war and made this their home. We are grateful to them for creating and sustaining this "jewel of a shul". We feel blessed to worship here among families that have been doing so for over six generations.

PJC is proud to be a 107 year old synagogue that is evolving to support the 21st century needs of Jewish people in the Millstone community and surrounding areas. PJC focuses on creating a warm, family friendly environment where adults and children can learn about their Jewish heritage, faith and values. We welcome all families with open arms — this includes all Jewish and Interfaith Families. Our Friday night services focus on our Hebrew School students. The Rabbi makes each child feel special by inviting them to run parts of each service which is geared towards families. Our Hebrew School is 1 day a week and teaches Hebrew language, reading, Jewish culture and holidays. Our Hebrew School Director is dedicated to making Hebrew School a fun and positive experience for our students. From enrichment programming that allows our children to learn about our culture in a hands-on, interactive manner to bringing iPads into the classroom, rewards to tzedukkah, she and the staff are committed to teaching our students to be active participants in their Jewish education and living a meaningful Jewish life. Parents are strongly encouraged to participate with their children. We hold annual Hanukkah parties, Purim Shpiels, Model Seders, Holocaust remembrance services, celebrate Yom Ha’Atzmaut (Israeli independence day) and participate in community outreach.

Every Hebrew school student is given their own Bar/Bat Mitzvah date which is unique to our Shul. In addition, there are NO additional charges for Bar/Bat Mitzvah's. Your membership dues cover it all. This special day belongs to your child alone and all efforts are made by our staff to ensure that it is a memorable occasion for all involved. PJC is host to Shalom BBYO, the newest chapter of B’Nai Brith Youth Organization for our post Bar/Bat Mitzvah teens. We also offer active social club that holds events for all age groups.

*Hebrew School for ages 8-12 (3rd-7th grade)*Tot Programs in partnership with PJ Library (ages 2-7)*Enrichment, hands-on, interactive learning*Modern technology *Fun, warm and welcoming environment for all*Interfaith families welcome!

For more information call 732-334-8774 OR Email Inbar Robbins, Hebrew School Director at pjchebrewschool@gmail.com. Check us out on Facebook to see all the incredible events your family can be a part of! We look forward to welcoming your family to the PJC family!

What You’ll Find

Millstone during the 19th century was for a time subdivided into seven villages, and a couple of the village names are still used by residents: the Clarksburg area is closer to the center of town, with its municipal buildings and schools, and to the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area, a 6,300-acre state-owned park with lakes and trails; Perrineville abuts Perrineville Lake Park.

Open space remains abundant, even though many farms have been sold to developers and a few are on the market. Any equestrian fan — whether breeder, rider or racer — will feel at home. Mayor Grbelja estimates that 15 to 20 percent of residents are involved with horses, either for business or pleasure. The town has made an effort to negotiate with property owners to acquire strips of land that allow for contiguous public riding trails. “Anyone riding a horse,” she said, “should be able to get from one part of town to another using our miles of trails.”

But horses aren’t the only attraction. Judy Collan, a broker with Century 21, says most of her buyers are drawn by the space. “A lot of people are coming from New York, Staten Island and North Jersey,” she said. “They want land, space and privacy.” She also notes that many in Millstone commute to New York — or to Princeton or Edison, each about 20 minutes away. Ms. Telmany said her husband was resigned to his commute to Staten Island, where he owns a transport company. “It takes a little over an hour and there’s no traffic,” she said. “His job is very stressful, so by the time he gets back here after making that drive, he’s relaxed.”

Much of the newer housing was built in the last 10 to 15 years; neighborhoods typically consist of just a dozen large houses on sizable properties. Areas dating to the 1960s or ’70s have a little more density: a few dozen split-levels, ranches and colonials. There are no retiree communities, and very few rentals. The mayor says the town is in the process of building 10 age-restricted affordable units near its center.

What You’ll Pay

In late January, Millstone had 108 sale listings, according to Trulia.com. At the high end, at $3 million, is a 7,000-square-foot home on 12 acres with a tennis court, a pool and a wine cellar. The least expensive, at $150,000, is a 1,900-square-foot ranch built in 1930 on less than half an acre; $150,000 is also the price for a 1.84-acre buildable wooded lot.

The market at the higher end isn’t particularly robust. For example, a four-bedroom three-and-a-half-bath 1995 home on 25 acres was first listed in May at $1.3 million and has been cut to $899,000. On the other hand, houses in the $500,000-to-$600,000 range have undergone bidding wars, Ms. Collan said.

The median sale price in the last quarter of 2012 was $317,500, down from $505,500 for the same period in 2011, according to Trulia. Andrea Rossi and her fiancé, Joseph Sawyer, who used to take weekend drives through Millstone and decided to move there in September, typify the market: they bought a three-bedroom raised ranch on two acres for $350,000.

What to Do

The county-owned Charleston Springs Golf Course sits on 743 acres in town and is open to cyclists and equestrians as well as golfers. The Horse Park of New Jersey, in neighboring Upper Freehold, hosts competitions and other events. Six Flags Great Adventure and the Jackson Premium Outlets are 10 minutes south; the Freehold Raceway Mall is about 10 minutes north. Belmar and Spring Lake, on the shore, are about 30 minutes away.

The Schools

The Millstone Primary School serves 435 students through Grade 2, while the Millstone Elementary School has 510 students in Grades 3 through 5. The Millstone Middle School has 583 enrolled in Grades 6, 7 and 8. Its 1,200-seat theater is used both by students and outside performers. Through an arrangement with Upper Freehold, Millstone teenagers attend high school nearby in Allentown. SAT averages in 2011 were 519 in math, 504 in reading and 505 in writing, versus 517, 493 and 496 statewide.

The Commute

Most Millstone commuters choose to drive to New York, via the New Jersey Turnpike, which takes about an hour and 15 minutes. New Jersey Transit buses to New York City run along Route 9 from Freehold and Route 33 in East Windsor. The trip to New York from the closest New Jersey Transit train station — Princeton Junction, about 20 minutes away — takes about an hour and 20 minutes. The one-way fare is $14.75.

The History

Originally inhabited by Lenape Indians, the township was named after the Millstone River and incorporated in 1844, encompassing portions of Freehold, Upper Freehold and Monroe. Some street names hint at the past, like Stage Coach Road, which was once a thoroughfare to Philadelphia.

How to Buy a Home

Helene and Belle.jpg

Helene Dunn with her father, Joseph Gibbons driving Belle, hitched to a sleigh, at Bull Run Farm.

(Photo courtesy the Dunn family)

MILLSTONE, N.J. — A giant in the New Jersey driving community has passed. Helene Dunn, 80, died Nov 24, 2014 at her Millstone farm. Dunn and her late partner, Dempsey Dixon, introduced many of today's competitors and pleasure drivers to the sport.

Her friend Sue Werner, of Millstone, remembered Dunn as an "amazing and talented" individual, interested in a multitude of activities. These especially involved nature, working with animals — she was usually surrounded by her several foxhounds — gardening and artistic pursuits including photography, painting and calligraphy. "She was always delighted to share her knowledge and expertise and eager to learn what others had to offer," said Werner.

Dunn's lifelong passion was horses started from childhood, with a father who was Master of the Hunt in her native Massachusetts. Long an accomplished rider, in the early 1980s, she began breeding Percheron/Thoroughbred sport horses with Dixon at his Bull Run Farm in Millstone. Werner recalls that's where Dunn's love of driving began. "They purchased a Canadian Chunk Percheron mare, Perrineville Belle, and Helene successfully competed her for several years, winning Devon multiple times. As her driving acumen increased, she competed in many combined driving events with her homebred, Kembridge, a Percheron/Standardbred. A fierce competitor, she aimed for excellence and was most often very successful," Werner remembers.

Among Dunn's contribution to the horse world was the founding of the Turkey Trot, a fundraiser for the Horse Park of New Jersey. Now held each November at the HPNJ, the event was originally held at Bull Run Farm. Dunn was also instrumental in founding the Garden State Horse and Carriage Society and the annual combined driving event held at the HPNJ. Dunn was a former member of the Board of Trustees for the HPNJ and, prior to her illness, a tireless worker in the equine community.

Tracey Higgins, of Oldwick, N.J. first met Dunn when she was the organizer of the early Garden State CDEs and a few pleasure shows at the HPNJ. Higgins remembers that Dunn and her daughter Karen were like the "Dynamic Driving Duo." She recalls that Helene was full of encouragement and compliments when she was just starting out and she always had a great time at the Dunn shows. "Her cheerful, kind spirit exemplified what the sport was all about in those days and is what got me hooked. Even after she gave up running the show she and Karen would often come and volunteer. But it wasn't the same without her as the world will be without her now," said Higgins.

Elaine McMinn and her husband Kevin, who now reside in Florida, operated the Greyhorse Carriage Company in Allentown, N.J. for many years. It was Dunn who inadvertently started McMinn driving. "I will always remember our first Turkey Trot at Bull Run. We went as spectators the first time and it created such a thrill in me that by the end of the day we purchased a carriage without even knowing if my mare would drive," McMinn said. "Helene brought a passion about driving that enabled so many of us to explore and enjoy the sport of carriage driving. Her passion for the sport will be remembered for many years."

Chet Halka, owner of the nursery bearing his family name adjoining Bull Run Farm, knew Helene and Dempsey since he was very young. "We were always invited to the driving picnics that were held at their farm and my father allowed them to drive in the nursery. Dempsey always tried to get me involved with the driving community when I was young, but unfortunately at the time I was preoccupied with work and small children," he said. However at the age of 55 Halka was finally able to take an interest in the sport and Dempsey and Helene were there to cheer him on. Today, he competes in CDEs.

Karen Wilkin, of Freehold, N.J. recalled Helene and Dempsey as a great inspiration to many budding drivers. "They wholeheartedly encouraged us, standing ringside or Helene competing directly with us once we qualified for open competition to bring out the best in us. They gracefully imparted knowledge in all in all aspects of horsemanship and competitive carriage driving. They encouraged volunteerism to allow the sport to thrive," she said.

Dr. Liz Kwasnik, of Upper Freehold, N.J. first met Dunn about 20 years ago. "Helene needed aprons as part of their turnout at Devon. We met and she described in great detail the color to coordinate with the rest of her and her guests' outfits and the carriage and the horses to show at Devon," recalls Kwasnik. Dunn said she wanted the aprons to be brown, specifically Hershey chocolate brown. Kwasnik put her sewing skills to the test to create two aprons and two lap-robes in Hershey chocolate brown. "I knew this would be hobby that would change my life. Helene and Dempsey opened their home and their lives to me and my quest to learn more about carriage driving," she said. Kwasnik's horse Dolly, a gray Percheron Thoroughbred mare, lived at their farm for several years. "I remember many a carriage drive and clinic, the Turkey Trot and Helene's constant guidance and ideas — and her generosity to help beginners like me. I saw her recently and she asked about things were going for us these days. I shared with her that I now drive a pair of Cleveland Bay mares. She seemed so pleased. She said, 'You've come a long way!' How right she was," recalls Kwasnik. "She was a large influence along my journey. She was an incredible strong and determined woman, who took a path that opened many a door for others in the driving community, but also in life. I will miss her."

For Dr. Judy Canavan, now of Oley, Pa but formerly a Dunn neighbor in Millstone, Helene and Dempsey were instrumental in getting her involved in driving. So instrumental, in fact, that they got her a pony, Finn, to get started. Canavan, who competes in CDEs with husband Tim as navigator, still has Finn, although he no longer competes. At the time, Canavan was going through a rough patch in her life. "With her strong maternal instinct, Helene knew what I needed," said Canavan. Dunn sold Finn to Canavan for the price she had paid for him. Canavan now runs the Garden State CDE, the show Dunn helped create.

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